What Could the Lens of Truth Uncover if it Existed on Earth?

The Lens of Truth is one of Zelda’s special items that, regardless of how players viewed its utility, holds a special place in the heart of general Zelda fandom. A player must brave obstacles to obtain it, both in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and use it to navigate perilous pathways as well as locate hidden enemies. During my own gaming I found this item to be extremely useful, and probably over-used it just to see if there was anything to find. But what would happen if the Lens of Truth became a reality, and what would it reveal when used? Hit the jump to read more!

The Lens of Truth’s functionality actually has a basis in mythology, where special items, both man-made and natural,
can supposedly be used to see “The Truth.” One such example used in modern media is the self-bored stone found in the story Coraline, which Celtic lore claims would allow a person to see past what are referred to as Eldritch or Faerie manifestations, which are essentially deceptive works of magic meant to trick humans for both amusement and malicious attacks. There are many legends of Faerie folk using such methods for self-defense to deceive humans into trading man-made objects. If that weren’t enough, the Other Mother is also known as the Beldam, which is another word for witch, and we see her method of capturing children consists of massive works illusory magic. She is also subject to unbreakable rules regarding deals and official games/bets that she makes, just like the creatures Celtic lore describes. If you are a stickler about Coraline’s being pursued by the Other Mother once the game is over, click here to read more on the subject.

In the games where the Lens of Truth plays a part, it usually serves to identify harmless illusions that hide doors, ladders and general pathways, which you are still able to traverse without the lens if you know the way. Coincidentally, there are a notable number of monsters hidden in the same way, including the most famous of examples, the Shadow Temple boss, Bongo Bongo. It is pure labeling on my part, but I find the hypothesis that the same kind of illusory magic discussed in legends of Eldritch creatures to be applicable especially to the passive magic a self-bored stone is said to reveal.

I feel the need to explain the magic of the lens because that will help us to determine what, if anything, would be revealed if one of us happened across the artifact and used it. Having a similar object in our own mythology provides a strong backing for the lens’ utility if it were a real item. That said, it should be understood that this is all based on lore and legends, not an actual belief that I could find a brownie or a faerie in the woods if I just had the Lens of Truth, so take the comparison with a grain of salt and try to appreciate the possibility here. We are talking about a fictional lens that would allow us to see what most of us already believe to be fictional entities. But, if you can pretend for a moment, or believe in the existence of supernatural beings long enough to consider this, imagine the possibilities of numerous Eldritch fantasies exposed with the power of the lens, both those who want to trick you, and those who want to kill you.

It should also be mentioned that self-bored stones are extremely rare and cannot be made with human hands or they will not possess the power to dispel illusions. There is only one Lens of Truth, and whoever had it could potentially uncover a whole other world hidden right under our noses. Given that the lens primarily reveals purposefully concealed passages, I would conclude that the potential in the real world far outweighs the utility found in the Zelda universe. I am not saying it is guaranteed that we would find supernatural beings here on Earth, and in fact having the lens could be downright boring if it turned out there wasn’t anything else to see. However, it might just be that there is enough mumbo jumbo happening in our seemingly mundane world that the lens would truly be a priceless artifact.

For those who study it, the workings of life in miniature are the equivalent of magic, and the wonders of nature as super as they could ever want. Although unlikely, without any supernatural beings, monsters or secret passageways to discover, if it actually existed the lens could have the more practical function of revealing life. There are many possibilities for the lens if it were real, and I’m sure all our avid bookworms out there will agree that it is dripping with the potential of throwing us right into our own adventure. Realistically speaking though, there is no evidence to support the existence of Eldritch creatures or that items such as self-bored stones are anything other than unique bits of rock.

What do you think? Would the Lens of Truth be a third eye that can pierce the veil of Faerie illusion, or would it be a way to discover and revel in the majesty of life as we never have before? It could also be that here, in the real world, an item like the Lens of Truth would be useless, as there might be nothing to see at all. Let me know what side you’re leaning to in the comments!